EC decision unfair, says BJP

NEW DELHI, Nov 23 — The BJP today strongly protested against the Election Commission’s decision to ban an advertisement of the party and demanded that there should be immediate review of it.

Prof Vijay Kumar Malhotra, chairman of the party Campaign Committee, said here that the BJP had already lodged its protest with the Election Commission. He was of the view that the BJP should have been consulted by the Election Commission before taking a decision.

He said the decision was ex parte.

The commission had yesterday banned the advertisement after upholding a Congress charge that it had violated paragraph 1(2) of the model code of conduct. The commission secretary Mr K.J. Rao, in a letter to the BJP had said that the advertisement was in clear violation of paragraph 1(2) of the model code of conduct.

Mr Malhotra, however, said that there was no violation and the "factual position" was presented. No Congress leader was named in advertisement. But whatever was written about Dawood aide, Romesh Sharma and Sushil Sharma, an accused implicated in the Naina Sahni murder case, was correct and both were at present lodged in Tihar jail.

Even Italian businessman Quattrocchi, who had been chargesheeted by the CBI and named in the Bofors papers had close proximity to the "Sonia family." Romesh Sharma’s links with Dawood Ibrahim were also well-known.

Strongly objecting to the Congress advertisement appearing in the newspapers today which said "no onions, no patatoes, no mustard oil, no power, no water, no safety, no security," Mr Malhotra said it presented a wrong picture of Delhi. "At present there are enough onions, patatoes and oil. Even the power and water situation has improved. But from the advertisement it looks as if nothing is available."

He said it was widely known that Sushil Sharma was the president of the Delhi Youth Congress while Romesh Sharma was a member of the AICC. "Dawood is known to be the main contact of Romesh and Quattrocchi was close to Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s family."

He expressed surprise that a party of the "stature" of the Congress should have complained to the EC against an advertisement based on facts. Even more surprising was that the commission had entertained the complaint and reportedly deplored the advertisement.

Asked whether the commission had acted on the BJP’s complaint against the violation of the code by the Congress which had put up banners, posters and cutouts of Congress President Sonia Gandhi, the BJP leader said no action had been taken yet. "It is equally surprising," he said.

All depends on BSP performance
From A.S. Prashar
Tribune News Service

ADAMPUR (Jalandhar), Nov 23 — Electioneering in the form of sloganeering, rallies and processions came to a close this evening with the battle for the prestigious Adampur seat in the Punjab Assembly turning into a virtual straight contest between the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Congress. The poll is scheduled for November 25.

The SAD rounded off its campaign with an impressive rally in Adampur this afternoon which was attended by the top brass of the Akali Dal and the BJP, including the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, the SGPC chief, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, the Union Minister of State, Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal, and most ministers of the ruling SAD-BJP combine. Filmactor-turned-politician, Vinod Khanna, MP from Gurdaspur, was also present.

The Congress which has held a series of rallies during the past few days addressed by senior leaders, including Mr Rajesh Pilot, Mrs Meira Kumar and Mr Munish Tewari, concentrated today on door-to-door canvassing with the PCC chief, Capt Amarinder Singh, making rounds of the narrow, winding streets of Bhogpur town, which forms part of the predominantly rural constituency in the heartland of the Doaba region of Punjab.

The Akali Dal (A) and the BSP also held processions in Adampur town.

There are four major candidates for the Adampur seat — Mr Dalbir Singh Dhirowal (SAD), Mr Kanwaljit Singh Lalli (Congress), Ms Vidwant Kaur (BSP) and Mr Anoop Singh Minhas (Akali Dal-A). The byelection has been caused by the death of Akali minister Saroop Singh. The Dal (B) is, therefore, trying hard to retain the seat.

The Congress, on the other hand, sees a clear chance to unseat the SAD by cashing in on the popular discontent over issues like price rise, shortage of onions, potatoes and DAP.

For both Chief Minister and the PCC chief, Capt Amarinder Singh, winning the seat is a prestige issue. For the former Maharaja of Patiala, the election is particularly important because he was appointed the party president in place of Mrs Rajinder Kaur Bhattal after she failed to win any important election for the party. If the Congress loses the Adampur byelection, it is bound to put a question mark on the leadership of Capt Amarinder Singh.

Although Adampur forms part of the Doaba region, generally regarded pro-Congress, it has not returned a Congress candidate to the Punjab assembly during the past 31 years. The last Congress candidate to win the seat was Chaudhary Dharshan Singh in 1967.

In 1997, the late Saroop Singh of the Akali Dal won the seat polling 40,578 votes against Mr Kanwaljit Singh Lalli (Congress) who secured 24,274 votes. The BSP’s Mr Rajinder Kumar Chukhiara came third with 17,000 votes. Mr Chukhiara has now joined the Congress and is actively campaigning for the party nominee.

The Congress is also being supported by the CPI and the CPM. The SAD has the backing of the BJP and the Bahujan Samaj Morcha led by Mr Satnam Singh Kainth, MP. The Dal (A) candidate is being supported by the Akali Dal (Democratic) headed by Mr Kuldip Singh Wadala.

The constituency has an electorate of 1.19 lakh. It has three major towns of Adampur, Alawalpur and Bhogpur. The number of villages forming part of the constituency is 140.

A survey undertaken by TNS at different places in the constituency today showed that while the Congress is going strong in the towns, the SAD has the upper hand in the villages. The Congress has been raising the issues of spiralling prices, shortage of onions, potatoes and DAP to highlight the failure of the Akali-BJP combine. The SAD has been talking about the "discrimination" against Punjab and other Congress "misdeeds" like Operation Bluestar and the anti-Sikh riots.

The Dal (A) leaders have been criticising both the SAD and the Congress for various ills of Punjab.

The BSP which won the seat in 1992 and was a force to reckon with for several years in Punjab as well as other parts of the country, seems to have run out of steam. Its popularity graph is on a decline despite the fact that SCs constitute a 38-40 per cent of the electorate.

Mr Chukhiara left the BSP to join the Congress after being denied ticket by Mr Kanshi Ram. His exit has caused a serious dent in the BSP ranks. Ms Vidwant Kaur, a former president of the Mahila Congress, who is now the BSP candidate for Adampur, is trying hard to give a tough fight but all her efforts may not be good enough. Most of her poll campaign seems to be devoted to dispelling rumours that she may withdraw from the contest.

While the Dal (A) nominee will eat into the votes of the SAD, Ms Vidwant Kaur will undermine the electoral prospects of the Congress. As the Dal (A) has a limited following in Adampur, the poll outcome here seems to depend on the number of votes Ms Vidwant Kaur will poll.